Skip to main content

Issue 1, July 10th, 2017 - Grand Valley Lanthorn

Page 1

GRAND VALLEY

A L L E N D A L E & G R A N D R A P I DS , M I C H I G A N ST U D E N T- R U N P U B L I C A T I O N S // P R I N T · O N L I N E · M O B I L E // L A N T H O R N . C O M

M O N D A Y, J U LY 1 0, 2 0 1 7 // VO L . 52 N O. 1

GV student engineers test device at NASA

BY DYLAN GROSSER ASSISTANTNEWS@LANTHORN.COM

T

he optimistic saying “the sky’s the limit” is supposed to tell someone that their dreams and hopes are boundless, but for a group of student engineers at Grand Valley State University, their dreams have surpassed the sky and flown into outer space. On May 23, for the first time in GVSU history, a group of students were able to create and test a device designed for life in outer space for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in Houston, Texas. It started in October 2016, when senior Brianna Forsthoefel asked fellow senior Taylor Rieckhoff if she wanted to be apart of a team that would design and eventually test a device at NASA. Rieckhoff agreed and brought on more members, including seniors Jake Stephens and Dan Scheske. The eight member team, including faculty advisor Amy Lenz, then entered to see if their device proposal would be approved - which it was in December 2016 - and to find a way to develop it for testing. The team developed a name for themselves, “North Star,” a play on living in the north and wanting to “reach for the stars.” The device itself is referred to by the team as a “surface sampling device.” It resembles a shovel, only without the head and with a box attached to the handle to hold the particles in. It works by pressing the button inside the handle, allowing dirt and other particles to be let inside through the opening on the bottom. Once the button is released, everything on the ground that was picked up is stored in the container unit. Stephens said

the device was purposely made to be simple and user friendly, to cause less stress for astronauts in outer space. He said the device will theoretically be used on Mars to pick up particles or articulate for studying. Every team from different colleges across the U.S. that came to NASA each had only 20 minutes to test their device and show how it’s useful. While it’s a competition getting a device proposal approved, the competition ends once everyone reaches Houston, according to Stephens. Members of the team gave directions to a crew of divers who would test the device inside of a swimming pool, to simulate the low gravity atmosphere of space. The team ran into multiple issues with printing parts of the device using a 3D printer. Scheske said sometimes the printer would print inconsistent parts that would not fit together correctly. It wasn’t until the team received help from Lenz to learn about tolerancing, establishing the direction of prints, and using different filament layers to print the device successfully. Rieckhoff said Lenz helped tremendously in the success of their team. “Without our advisor Amy, our trip down there would not have been as smooth or possible,” Rieckhoff said. “She just really rocked it out being our faculty advisor.” Lenz said that in Houston, many other faculty advisors from different teams approached her to tell them how impressed they were by team North Star’s professionalism in demonstrating their project. “I thought that was a huge compliment and a reflection of how great and dedicated this team was, and how well they represented GVSU,” Lenz said. SEE NASA | A2

ADMINISTRATION

Interim dean of students focused on student success, engagement BY KAYLA TUCKER NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Stephen Glass just wants to help students in any way he can. In his new position as acting vice provost for student affairs and dean of students at Grand Valley State University, he’s excited to help students succeed. After the sudden leave of Eileen Sullivan, vice provost for student affairs and dean of students, Glass was asked to step into the position, which he did not hesitate to do. In his position, Glass will oversee student affairs and conduct. Glass started at the university in 2001 in the movement science department as one of the first exercise science faculty members. In 2006, he created GVSU’s exercise science program. “Now we have, I think, 1,100 majors,” Glass said. The following year, Glass became the associate dean for the Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies. When the dean retired in 2013, Glass went back to teach exercise science. “Exercise science had grown so large; I wanted to help the department, help the program grow more,” Glass said. “In the last four years up to now, I’ve been trying to align with the university’s idea of high-impact practices. Those are the types of practices that really have a substantial impact on the students’ learning experience. It might be study abroad, it could be service learning—there’s a variety of different things. But relative to my department, research is a high-impact practice, so I try to get as many students involved in research as possible.” Glass said he would have 20 students a year helping with research and still has some projects going on. BeTESTING THE DEVICE: GVSU engineering students give instructions to a team of divers who try out the device in a swimming pool. COURTESY | AMY LENZ

SEE DEAN | A2

GRAND RAPIDS

Understanding community giving BY JENNA FRACASSI ASSOCIATE@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University’s Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy has recently released a report designed to understand philanthropic dynamics on a community level. The study, “Understanding the Philanthropic Character of Communities,” applies a new method for assessing the philanthropic character of a community. “Our primary goal was to try to

develop a way of studying something that’s very hard to study: the philanthropic ‘character’ of a community,” said Michael Moody, Frey Foundation chair for family philanthropy and research team member, via email. “People often say things like, ‘We are a generous community’ or ‘Philanthropists in our city are pretty innovative.’ We have this sense that there is a charitable personality, if you will, that pervades any given place. But that personality is hard to study and analyze systematically with good

data and careful methods. In this study, we developed an initial methodology for doing that and ‘tested’ that method on two communities we know well: Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo.” When explaining the new research method, Michelle Miller-Adams, political science professor at GVSU and member of the report’s research team, said via email that they used a variety of publicly available data sources to paint a picture of the patterns of giving in the two communities. “We rounded this out by speaking

STUDYING A POPULATION: Michael Moody, pictured, is the Frey Foundation chair for family philanthropy. He and his colleagues conducted research on philanthropy efforts in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. COURTESY | JOHNSONCENTER.ORG

with some knowledgeable observers of philanthropy in the two places and compiling three comparative case studies based on public information,” she said. “All these sources of information could be used to analyze other communities.” The cities of Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, located 50 miles apart, share many similar community features, but there are also differences in their philanthropic character. The research presented in the study looked at the different community approaches to giving to downtown development, the arts and K-12 education. “We focused on the communities of Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo because of our location and personal connections to these places and also because they provide an interesting comparison,” Miller-Adams said. Research showed that both Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo are highly philanthropic communities. Both areas have well-established family and community foundations, and more giving is done through foundations in both counties than is done nationally. The study states that “this high level of philanthropy reflects the fact that both communities have a base of major donors who have made or inherited their money in the community and who expressed a clear expectation to give back to that community.” According to Miller-Adams, the main focus of the team’s research was on the activities of major donors within the two communities. This concentration was the result of the team believing that these wealthy individuals play a large part in shaping the philanthropic character of a community. “We found lots of similarities be-

tween the two communities but also some interesting differences in the areas of how donors give and the causes they give to,” Miller-Adams said. The study compared sources of giving, what influences giving and why donors give, as well as different ways of giving. In Grand Rapids, the study identified that faith-based social capital accounted for much of the giving. In other words, religion was one of the key factors that contributed to high giving in the city. In both Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids, community expectation and orientation was recognized as being a major influence in giving. This is the idea that there is a shared expectation for major donors to give back to their communities and that donors are driven by their love for the community when it comes to giving. Some of the different forms of giving include foundation giving, corporate giving, anonymous giving, named giving, place-based giving and collaboration. The study also looks at the different tendencies and focus of donors in how and where they donate their money. The study, which Miller-Adams said was done in several stages over several years, involved the work of a graduate student assistant and four undergraduate Mawby Fellows, as well as the three researchers. GVSU’s research team included Miller-Adams and Johnson Center researchers Moody, Grace Denny and Teri Behrens. “One of the most exciting aspects of the research was to be involved in a truly collaborative process that

www.lanthorn.com

SEE STUDY | A2


JULY 10, 2017 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A2 | NEWS

NASA

NEWS BRIEFS

CONTINUED FROM A1

GV LAUNCHES NEW POLICIES WEBSITE

A new website featuring the policies of Grand Valley State University was launched Thursday, June 1, by the Division of Legal, Compliance and Risk Management. The website is being called the “authoritative location” of all of the university policies approved by the Board of Trustees. It contains policies that were originally found in separate locations for students, faculty, staff, the president’s cabinet, contractors and vendors, and campus visitors. Tom Butcher, the vice president and general counsel at GVSU, was behind the planning for the website. He said that with the consolidation, navigation is easier for users, who can now just search through all of the policies using key words. The website can be reached at www.gvsu.edu/policies.

GV PLACES FOURTH IN NSAC COMPETITION IN NEW ORLEANS

Out of eight teams in the nation competing in the National Student Advertising Competition, Grand Valley State University’s team has taken fourth place and has received a highly coveted award for best use of marketing research. GVSU’s marketing team moved onto the finals after winning the regional competition in May. The task for this year’s team was to develop a fully fleshed-out marketing strategy for Tai Pei frozen foods. This year was the first GVSU has been able to make it to the final round of the NSAC, and faculty advisor Robin Spring said the team was extremely humbled by being fourth in the nation for their marketing strategy. “It was just really exciting and a thrilling day for everybody,” Spring said. “To be able to go to nationals and be in the top eight is phenomenal.”

Lenz said she has high hopes for the future of the members of North Star in the engineering field. “They’re the top of their classes,” Lenz said. “These students are already well established in their engineering educational career. They have been working full time and they’re almost ready to become full-time engineers.” The device is currently being held with team North Star, with the hope that it will be one day placed in a display case somewhere at GVSU. NASA will hold onto the blueprints of the device inside of their archive, should they ever decide that it will be needed on their voyage to Mars expected to take place in 2022.

INVENT: The GVSU student engineering team (from left to right): Dylan DiGiovanni, Taylor Rieckhoff, Jake Stephens, Dan Scheske, Nate Kyburz, Brianna Forsthoefel and Amy Lenz. COURTESY | AMY LENZ

CLAS ASSOCIATE DEAN LEAVES FOR ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY IN PENNSYLVANIA

Shaily Menon, the associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, will be exiting Grand Valley State University and taking a job at Saint Joseph University in Pennsylvania as a dean of the College of Arts and Sciences starting Tuesday, August 1. Menon has been serving as an associate dean of CLAS since June 2011 and originally joined GVSU in the department of biology and natural resources management in 1998. The dean of CLAS, Fred Antczak, said Menon was on the search committee for his position 13 years ago, and he has been a close friend of hers ever since. He said Menon handled her position with grace and contributed to the positive and productive culture of CLAS. “She has served CLAS with distinction, but that seems such a general word for someone whose work was so dependably specific and personal,” Antczak said. “I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity to work with her, and I’ll look forward to hearing about her challenges and accomplishments as she digs into her next chapter.”

GRAND RAPIDS CIVIC THEATRE TO FEATURE ‘HAIRSPRAY,’ ‘THE NEVERENDING STORY’

The Grand Rapids Civic Theatre is featuring two plays through the end of the summer: “Hairspray Jr.” and “The Neverending Story,” which will start Friday, July 28, and run through Sunday, August 6. The classic Tony-award-winning musical “Hairspray” is a reimagining of the 1998 movie by John Waters. The musical features 1960s-style aesthetics, characters and music. “The Neverending Story” takes inspiration from the 1979 novel and 1984 film, where a young boy, who is traumatized by his mother’s death and harassment from bullies at school, is transported to a magical land inside of a story book called “The Neverending story.” Tickets for both productions are priced from $10 to $16. The Grand Rapids Civic Theatre is giving away free tickets for “The Neverending Story” in a contest online for anyone who leaves a comment on Facebook or their main webpage talking about their experiences at the theatre. More information can be found at www.grct.org. VOL . 52

NO. 1

Lan thorn EDITORIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief EMILY DORAN Associate Editor JENNA FRACASSI News Editor KAYLA TUCKER

PROMOTIONS Promotions Manager SHAYNA KOZKOWSKI

Advertising Manager AMANDA FELLMAN Asst. Advertising Manager IAN BORTHWICK

A&E Editor SIDNEY SELVIG

KATARINA ZOMER

Digital Editor MAITLYNN MOSSOLLE Image Editor

DEAN

CONTINUED FROM A1

cause of his specialization in cardiac rehabilitation, Glass also created a new class for the program called cardiopulmonary rehab. The acting dean said he didn’t always know what he wanted to do. “My first major was geology,” Glass said. “I wasn’t having the best semester, and I wasn’t as interested as I thought I was. At the same time, I had joined a student organization—I joined the martial arts club—and I was really getting into it.” Glass enjoyed the mental and physical training of the practice and changed his major to corporate and community fitness before the exercise science program existed. “It was really a student club and the engagement in that club that sort of brought out my passion for exercise physiology,” said Glass, who is now a big proponent of students getting involved on campus beyond their classes. “I think the value of the Student Life (office) is sometimes missed,” Glass said. “They don’t realize it could really change their life, either people they meet or an area of interest.” Even the busiest of students

can find time to get involved in some way, said Glass, who did martial arts only a couple nights a week in college. “You don’t really know what you don’t know,” Glass said. “And you think you have a major, but you don’t really know if that’s what you want to do, and so the only way you’re going to open those doors and see more is by engaging. And I think that’s where student affairs is so important.” Besides working at the university, Glass and his wife practice ballroom dancing. Just like with martial arts in college, Glass became hooked on the dancing and now practices weekly, in addition to coaching the GVSU Ballroom Dance Club. Glass also has two kids, Evan and Nikole. GVSU Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs Maria Cimitile said Glass’ background serves him well in his new position. “Dr. Glass has a strong administrative background, having served as interim dean and associate dean in the Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies, as well as chair of the department of liberal studies,” Cimitile said. “Dr. Glass attended the Harvard management leadership development program and has received

a Pew Teaching Excellence Award. When asked to step into the leadership role in the Dean of Students Office for a limited time while we conduct a national search, Dr. Glass gra-

ciously agreed.” The Office of the Provost plans to conduct a search to fill the vice provost for student affairs and dean of students position permanently.

STEPPING IN: Stephen Glass, GVSU’s new acting vice provost for student affairs and dean of students, poses. COURTESY | GVSU.EDU

ADVERTISING STAFF

Sports Editor ROBBIE TRIANO

Laker Life Editor TY KONELL

PAVING THE WAY: Members of the GVSU student engineering team sit in the Mission Command Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The GVSU team competed against other college teams from across the country testing their devices. COURTESY | AMY LENZ

Campus Accounts Manager

Account Executive RACHEL MOORE Ad Designer CORBIN MOHR BUSINESS STAFF

EMILY FRYE

Business Manager SHELBY CARTER

Layout Editor BECKY OPPMAN

Asst. Business Manager ALEXIS LAMB

Layout Designer RACHEL SPRING

Distribution Manager MEGHAN FITZGERALD

WEB TEAM Web Manager JOSH GETTER

STUDY

CONTINUED FROM A1

spanned multiple disciplines and generations,” Miller-Adams said. The report gives community members a chance to see their own philanthropic identity, while also helping them to better understand their community. The explanatory study presented in the report is meant as a stepping stone for additional research. “The report can help researchers, of course, who want to be able to study things like philanthropic patterns in com-

munities, how norms for giving get established in places and how they get perpetuated over time, and other questions like that,” Moody said. “But the report can also be useful to people in those communities that are studied using this method—people like nonprofit professionals or fundraisers who need to adapt their work to the distinctive philanthropic character of the community— and to the donors themselves who are often very proud of their local philanthropic character and want to keep it going.” To see the full report, visit bit.ly/PhilanthropicCharacterReport.

At the Lanthorn, we strive to bring you the most accurate news possible. If we make a mistake, we want to make it right. If you find any errors in fact in the Lanthorn, let us know by calling 616-331-2464 or by emailing editorial@lanthorn.com. The Grand Valley Lanthorn is published twice-weekly by Grand Valley State University students 62 times a year. One copy of this newspaper is available free of charge to any member of the Grand Valley Community. For additional copies, at $1 each, please contact our business offices.

GVSU FARMERS MARKET

The Lanthorn is published on recycled paper and is printed with soy bean ink. This means that our newspaper is entirely compostable. Help us do our part to be kind to the environment by recycling or composting this newspaper after you enjoy reading it. POSTMASTER: Please send form 3579 to: Grand Valley Lanthorn 0051 Kirkhof Center Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI 49401

WEDNESDAYS, 10:00am - 1:30pm

JUNE - OCTOBER ALLENDALE CAMPUS | LOT G PHILANTHROPY: The Bicycle Factory, home to the Johnson Center for Philanthropy, pictured above. COURTESY | JOHNSONCENTER.ORG

www.gvsu.edu/farmersmarket


JULY 10, 2017 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

NEWS | A3

HEALTH

GV professor works to help treat disabled patients with horse-based therapy BY DYLAN GROSSER ASSISTANTNEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Riding a horse for many can be an exciting, adventurous experience. It’s spontaneous; fun; adrenaline-inducing; and, for those living with neurological and developmental disorders, potentially life-changing. Equine-assisted therapy, otherwise known as hippotherapy, is a long-existing form of therapy that utilizes horses as a vehicle for facilitating improvement in the motor skills of the neurologically troubled, such as those

who suffer from cerebral palsy, autism, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, down syndrome and other ailments. According to a study by the United Nations, up to one billion people in the world suffer from neurological disorders, with the population of the earth being seven billion. With hippotherapy, the lives of many living with mental illness have the potential to change, according to a Grand Valley State University professor, Beth Macauley, who teaches communication sciences and disorders and has been studying and practicing

hippotherapy for years. Her work started when she was growing up on her parent’s farm. She said she always had a penchant for working with people with disabilities and claimed to have the “horse gene” from her parents. She said after she got her first riding lesson, her fate was sealed. “I love working with people who need help,” Macauley said. “People with disabilities were always my first love.” A horse is valuable in therapy for two main reasons, the first being the physical impact the horse has on the patient. Ac-

cording to Macauley, when a horse walks, the threedimensional movement gives repetitive, systematic motor and sensory input to the person on the horse. “The person, who has never had or received normal motor and sensory function because of their disability, is now getting it from the horse,” Macauley said. She said the horse facilitates improved coordination, motor control and attention, which then lead to improvement in desire and intent to communicate, articulation, and even swallowing.

TAKING AN ALTERNATIVE ROUTE: GVSU professor Beth Macauley assists a patient using equine-assisted therapy. Macauley believes hippotherapy offers unique benefits for patients, such as comfort and bonding similar to that provided by a therapy animal. COURTESY | MLIVE

The second reason is the horse also gives comfort to the patient during the therapy, similar to a therapy animal. She said patients develop a bond with the horse, which also facilitates communication. “People who have difficulty talking to other people will actually initiate communication with a horse before another person, so we use that as a building block to work on language with other people,” Macauley said. Macauley said she’s had some patients be frightened of trying hippotherapy, but the majority of them, especially kids, have a great time with it. “A lot of our kids, especially ones with cerebral palsy and wheelchair bound, have never experienced what it’s like to walk, much less be high on a horse,” she said. Macauley said the biggest challenge in her work is trying to get insurance companies to recognize hippotherapy as a valid form of therapy. “Even though maybe insurance companies will fund speech therapy, the minute I say therapy sessions are occurring on a horse, the insurance companies will not pay,” she said. “It’s extremely frustrating.” She said the insurance companies may have preconceived ideas that hippotherapy is giving people “free pony rides,” which she is actively trying to disprove with more research. She is specifically working on a way to correctly

“dose” a patient who needs hippotherapy to figure out how often the treatment is needed. So far into her research, she said there is evidence to support that hippotherapy is producing more positive results with patients suffering with various neurological disorders over traditional therapy. The executive director of the American Hippotherapy Association, Jacqueline Tiley, said she encounters issues with insurance companies related to hippotherapy as well. She said the solution to this problem is continuously educating people on the benefits of hippotherapy based on research and data, especially for those with serious neurological disorders. “We know that so much more can be accomplished in a short time on a horse because the therapists cannot create the same three-dimensional movement in the clinic as they can on a horse,” Tiley said. Macauley teaches many speech pathology classes at GVSU and often talks about hippotherapy to her students, hoping to pass the “horse gene” onto them. Among the many things she said she teaches her students, she always tells her students to treat every patient of theirs with dignity and respect. “I encourage my students to think outside of the box to advocate for their patients, always learning, always striving,” Macauley said.

RECOGNITION

GV nursing dean awarded prestigious new fellowship to GSA BY MADISON MIAZEK NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Sandra Spoelstra, a Grand Valley State University faculty member, was recently awarded a fellowship to the Gerontological Society of America (GSA). Spoelstra is the associate dean for research and scholarship at the Kirkhof College of Nursing. Spoelstra has been a member of the GSA for more than 10 years, but her coworkers Rebecca Davies and Cynthia Beel-Bates thought it was time for some recognition. Davies and Beel-Bates, who are members and fellows of the GSA, nominated Spoelstra. Davies said there were many reasons why she was nominated. “She has been a member of the GSA for a long time, and she has many accomplishments as far as her research goes,” Davies said. “She has an impressive record of research in the area of gerontology. She has many, many publications and peer review journals.”

The GSA helps develop and lead research in the field of gerontology. The organization’s mission, stated on its website, is “to promote interdisciplinary research; disseminate knowledge to researchers; and support, promote and advocate education.” The GSA is the largest and oldest national interdisciplinary organization dedicated to the aging of older adults. Holding a fellowship for the GSA is the highest level of membership for the society. “It’s a big honor in the world of gerontology because it comes from the organization where over 5,000 gerontology scientists are members, so it’s like people recognizing your accomplishments, and so it’s a really significant and deep honor,” Spoelstra said on her recent fellowship. Spoelstra is working on a few projects currently that will help her research and the quality of life for older adults. One program she coleads is called the Community Aging in Place, Advancing Better Living

for Elders, or the MiCAPABLE. It helps disabled and aging adults remain in the community as opposed to living in a nursing home. As part of the program, more than 600 registered nurses, social workers and occupational therapists are trained in improving one’s quality of life through areas such as reduction in depression and falls and pain, all while trying to improve physical function. Another thing Spoelstra is working on is trying to obtain more funding in the Michigan Medicaid program. Spoelstra said that right now in the state of Michigan, the Medicaid program is underfunded. This fellowship to the GSA does not come with any grant money, but Spoelstra said, “These type of awards help build your CV (curriculum vitae) so that you can obtain more funding to improve a program like the Medicaid waiver.” The annual GSA conference will be held in San Francisco at the end of this

month. “This is the largest interprofessional gerontology conference in the world, and so it covers everything to do with this field, including genetic medicine, social work, nursing, every aspect of care, ...

how to help people aging, the mental, emotional, social effects,” Davies said. “It’s a very, very large conference.” The conference will have many grant funders. Spoelstra said that is one thing she is looking forward to—hav-

ing the opportunity to receive grants to improve care. She is also looking forward to hearing the latest and greatest research in the field of gerontology. Spoelstra is hoping the conference will improve their model of care and training.

HONORED: GVSU professor Sandra Spoelstra is a newly appointed fellow of the Gerontological Society of America. Her research in gerontology has been published in multipe journals. COURTESY | GVSU.EDU


A4 | OPINION EDITORIAL

JULY 10, 2017 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

GVL EDITORIAL CARTOON

By Wren Miller

Why students should be engaging outside the classroom

A

t any “good” university, the academics are going to be rigorous, as they should be. When students are appropriately challenged in the classroom, though, it can be difficult for them to fit in extracurricular activities, including ones that may actually enhance their academic learning, provide them with real-world experience, build their resumes and ultimately give them a leg up in the job market. In fact, extracurricular activities like internships, research and study abroad may even prove to be more valuable for students in the long term than countless hours spent studying and attending classes. The Grand Valley State University administration understands the importance of student engagement outside the classroom. With that in mind, GVSU provides students with the opportunity to grow not only academically, but also individually, by giving students a variety of outlets to advance their personal and professional goals, all while continuing their collegiate journey:

work, including poster projects, exhibits, performances and panel discussions.

Study Abroad

Arguably one of the most valuable opportunities GVSU offers students is study abroad, for both undergraduate and graduate programs, giving students the chance to explore the world while gaining valuable life experience and enhancing their intercultural competence. A lot of students take advantage of this opportunity because it sets them apart from their peers while post-college job hunting. Another influential factor in choosing to take part in one of these programs is getting to travel and experience new things. Sitting in a classroom and looking out at the same scenery every day can get repetitive and boring. When studying abroad, students are immersed in another nation’s culture, and through their exploration, they also experience immense personal development. For more information on GVSU’s study abroad programs, visit www.gvsu.edu/studyabroad/.

Internships

Research

Besides work in the classroom, GVSU offers a multitude of opportunities for students to get involved in research in the community and beyond. Most recently, a group of engineering students created a device that was heavily researched on campus and then tested at the NASA headquarters in Houston. Research such as this allows students to push beyond what they learn in textbooks and lectures and apply their skills to real-life situations where they have to work as a team and problem solve. Research is available in almost every degree program on campus, and many professors have research projects that they recruit students to work on with them. Annually, GVSU hosts Student Scholars Day, where students showcase their various projects and

One of the biggest factors that can set someone apart from the crowd in a future job search is whether or not they have done an internship. If a future employer sees that a graduating student has successfully completed an internship in a related field, they will know the applicant already has relevant skills, likely won’t have to be trained from scratch and has a good work ethic. College is the perfect time to do an internship, too. Oftentimes, students can receive class credit for completing an internship, and then they have a big resume booster by the time they graduate. The GVSU Career Center staff can help students look for internships and also review resumes, conduct mock interviews and answer other career-related questions students might have.

editorial@lanthorn.com

Trump administration mired in conflicts of interest BY HUNTER KAAP RENCIS EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

In a bipartisan letter drafted and signed by 13 sitting U.S. senators back in February, members of Congress articulated their growing concern for the Trump administration’s brazen conflicts of interests, writing, “A President must not have two masters. You have committed to serving the American people. It is a small price to pay for the unparalleled honor and gravity of your post that you not attempt to capitalize financially on the presidency,” according to a report filed by Federal News and Information Inc. The disquiet came about before the breadth of a special investigation into the administration’s Russian ties had assumed its present capacity. Now, four months later, the Trump administration has made little-to-no effort to limit the appearance or the perception of his conflicting business interests. In doing so, President Donald Trump has succeeded in undermining the ethical accountability the president holds to the American people and the office to which he was elected. The letter written to the President goes on to say, “Our Founders enshrined in the Constitution a safeguard against foreign influence upon all office holders, including the President, and throughout our history each President has

GV L EDI TORI AL B OA R D EMILY DORAN JENNA FRACASSI KAYLA TUCKER ROBBIE TRIANO SYDNEY SELVIG TY KONELL

Editor-in-Chief Associate editor News editor Sports editor A&E editor Laker Life editor

WHAT IS A LANTHORN? Lant • horn, n. [old English] Lanthorn is two syllables, pronounced Lant-horn. It is a lantern that was used in midto-late 16th century Europe. It was constructed of leather and a

single lens made of a thin piece of ox or steer horn. It was used for illumination and as a beacon. The Grand Valley Lanthorn slogan is: “Give light and the people will find their own way.”

GVL OPINION POLICY The goal of the Grand Valley Lanthorn’s opinion page is to act as a forum for public discussion, comment and criticism in the Grand Valley State University community. Student opinions published here do not necessarily reflect those of the paper as an entity. The Grand Valley Lanthorn aims to be a safe vehicle for community discussion. The Lanthorn will not publish or entertain any forms of hate speech, but will not discriminate against any other views, opinions or beliefs. The content, information and views expressed are not approved by nor necessarily represent those of the university, its Board of Trustees, officers, faculty or staff. Reader submissions on the opinion page appear as space permits, and are reserved for letters to the editor only,

all other reader-generated content can be submitted to the Grand Valley Lanthorn’s YourSpace page by emailing community@lanthorn.com. Letters to the editor should include the author’s full name and relevant title along with a valid email and phone number for confirming the identity of the author. Letters should be approximately 500-650 words in length, and are not edited by the staff of the Grand Valley Lanthorn outside of technical errors for clarity. To make a submission, email at editorial@lanthorn. com or by dropping off your submission in person at:

0051 KIRKHOF CENTER GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY ALLENDALE, MI 49401 616-826-8276

WHAT’S YOUR PROBLEM? HAVE A PROBLEM THAT YOU NEED HELP SOLVING? SEND US AN EMAIL. EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

conducted himself in a manner to ensure neither the perception nor the reality of violating this bedrock principle. You have not.” Since he announced his decision to run for office, whilst standing atop a golden escalator inside Trump Tower, there are many who doubted the possibility that a real estate “icon” of his magnitude could ever possibly divest the entirety of his wealth. There are nearly 500 companies registered in the Trump name, spanning across five continents and some two dozen countries, according to Time Magazine, including Saudi Arabia, China and Russia. For those who may be unfamiliar with the writings found in Article I, Section 9, Clause 8 of the Constitution, also known as the Emoluments Clause, the Founders explicitly forbade any U.S. president from accepting foreign payments so that the office of president would remain insulated from bribery or foul play from the private sector. If you’re not up to snuff on your Constitutional froth, in short, the architects of our democracy knew it would be easy for land owners and privileged citizens (like real estate moguls or foreign governments) to bribe a president into governing a certain way, so they declared that a “President acting for any motive or interest but to serve

the United States, such as taking foreign payments without authorization by Congress, is in violation of the Emoluments Clause.” Knowing the provisions of the Emoluments Clause, one should consider the gravity of a situation where Donald Trump is accepting payments, such as rent, from tenants like the Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (ICBC). In addition to being the world’s largest bank, the ICBC also holds the lease on the largest office space inside Trump Tower in New York. One doesn’t have to be a Constitutional scholar to raise an eyebrow at this arrangement between our president and a Chinese governmentrun bank. Or, perhaps the eldest Trump offspring, Donald Trump Jr., put it best when asked about the Trump family business ties to Russia while addressing a real estate conference in Manhattan, responding, “Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets,” Time magazine reports. Considering business ties of this magnitude, it is not unreasonable for the average American voter to inquire about some of the relationships Trump holds with some of his esteemed tenants and foreign business partners. Of course, much of this information would surely be disclosed in a tax return, but as we all know, Trump apparently rises above the practical expectation we uphold for presidential nominees to release their tax

returns, a tradition upheld by every presidential nominee since Richard Nixon. Unfortunately, the (potential) unconstitutional conduct of our 45th president doesn’t stop there. On top of these potential conflicts of interest, there is also the president’s use of something called “executive privilege.” Executive privilege is a tactic reserved for presidents and their appointed cabinet members, where members of the administration reserve the right not to disclose the context of any conversation or information discussed with the president with anyone, including congressional intelligence and oversight committees. This past month, several members of the Trump administration have been asked to testify in front of congress regarding their involvement with Russian officials during the 2016 presidential election. Normally, an investigation into matters like these are handled by the attorney general. However, Trump’s attorney general, Jeff Sessions, recused himself from the investigation earlier this year, citing his proximity to both the Trump campaign and meetings he had with Russian officials, according to an article in USA Today. In all the fog surrounding Trump officials, matched with congressional pushback from Republicans, it appears the investigation into unconstitutional behavior is far from over.

Why study abroad should be mandatory BY AMY MCNEEL EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

We spend all of our youth in the classroom, but what happens after that? What about when we’re graduated and done with school altogether? Well, let me tell you what happens: The world becomes our classroom, and a big, beautiful, complex one at that. As we enter adulthood, we face real-world problems, and in response we have to come up with real-world solutions. Schools provide students with much-needed knowledge and assistance, but nothing can better prepare a person for adult life than truly seeing the world

and all it has to offer. Most colleges today have an abundance of study abroad programs, but the majority of students don’t take advantage of them. This is a problem because for a society, awareness of different cultures and knowing how to effectively communicate with other societies is becoming increasingly important. Plus, we’re college students. It’s the perfect time to adventure and explore the world that we soon will be thrown into. I believe that each and every person can benefit from study abroad, and I think it is time that study aboard becomes a mandatory part of college life. Travel provides students

with a very different kind of education. Instead of taking notes and listening to lectures, students experience a much more hands-on, real-life type of learning. As I said before, when you grow up, the world becomes your classroom. This is also true while studying broad. When you are traveling, not only do you learn about the history and architecture of the place, but you also learn about the people, the culture and the way of life. This kind of exposure to a new place provides a plethora of learning opportunities and overall can result in immense personal growth, as well as a much better understanding of how the world

works. Plus, if you ask me, “travel-learning” is a lot more fun than “lecture-learning.” Furthermore, study abroad students are submersed in culture and experience diversity on a very personal level. Study aboard is made up of presentations, tours, on-site visits and free time, thereby allowing students to experience the culture of the city from many different angles. When students face diversity, they get a chance to develop new perspectives and see how other cultures are similar and different from their own. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

Navigating social media’s ‘antisocial’ side effects BY CALEB BAIRD EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

Does technology bring us closer together, or does it spread us further apart? This is a question that many people today are asking themselves. My question is, is it possible that it is doing both? Does technology impact us differently, or do we all interact with it the same? While everyone has their own opinion on this topic, it is safe to say that technology has permanently changed the way we communicate. Nowadays, we see someone more online than we do in real life. Face-toface interactions have plum-

meted, and many life skills such as basic communication and confrontation are lost. We become encapsulated with this artificial world of immediacy and keeping up our image. Our social media goals are driven solely by the number of likes and retweets our personal accounts get. It allows us to feel validated, no pun intended. With so many opportunities to be connected, I think it is easy to mistake social media “friendships” as an alternative to in-person relationships. Today, we are linked through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and more. There is an overload of material to

digest, so we feel little need to reach out to anyone for more information. We figure that since we’ve seen their latest picture and post, we have a bond built between each other, but we don’t. What I mean by this is that I could go onto a friend’s Facebook page and discover all their week’s activities without even speaking to them personally. I already know how work is going, what food they ate yesterday and how great their family reunion was last weekend. What more do I need to know? At this point, the thought of reaching out for an in-person

interaction is eliminated, but we don’t realize what we are missing out on. I don’t think that technology has made us purposely antisocial—I think it has made us accidentally antisocial. It makes us feel more connected to one another because in a sense we are sharing much more, but it largely disengages us. It disengages us from truly listening to someone else speak, sharing their feelings or confessing a secret. With the insertion of the internet between two friends, the relationship becomes superficial and less meaningful. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE


JULY 10, 2017 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

NEWS | A5

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

GV professor recognized for her leadership, inspiration with Saltmarsh Award BY TYLEE BUSH TBUSH@LANTHORN.COM

A Grand Valley State University professor has been awarded the John Saltmarsh Award for Emerging Leaders in Civic Engagement by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities’ American Democracy Project. GVSU Professor Danielle Lake is an assistant professor in the liberal studies department in Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies known for her devotion to informing and provoking her students on real problems and ethical dilemmas. Each year, the Saltmarsh Award is given to an emerging leader in the civic engagement field. The chosen recipient is recognized with a commemoration to acknowledge the accomplishment, as well as a check for $500. Jessica Jennrich, director of the Gayle R. Davis Center for Women and Gender Equity at GVSU, nominated Lake for the award. “This award for civic engagement is the perfect fit for the amazing work Dr. Lake does,” Jennrich said. “It is a pleasant struggle to keep

up with her ideas; her enthusiasm; and, perhaps most pertinent to this award, her uncanny skill to link project to civic projects with tangible outcomes for both students and our community.” Jennrich saw that Lake far exceeded the qualifications for the award, including advancing the civic learning of undergraduates, demonstrating collaborative leadership and having strong personal characteristics, to name a few. “Her capacity for strong relationships, her support of others and her ability to cross boundaries make her unique in higher education,” Jennrich said. Jennrich oversaw the nomination process while many other students, staff and faculty submitted joint nominations. Dana Eardley, GVSU student and alumna, shared a few words with the committee about her experience as Lake’s student. “During my time at Grand Valley State University, I had the privilege of teacherassisting, co-presenting and co-publishing alongside Dr. Lake,” Eardley said. “The level of respect and commitment that Dr. Lake demonstrates toward every individual she

encounters truly exemplifies what academia should look like. Dr. Lake has proven to me that academia can in fact be used as a tool to propel social change when approached with intentionality and care.” Lake was ecstatic to receive this praise from her students and colleagues, and she accepted the Saltmarsh Award with high honors. “I am by far most honored and humbled by the support of my students, community partners, faculty and staff at GVSU,” Lake said. “I was also blown away to be acknowledged by the American Democracy Project. The words they (have)written on my behalf and their belief in me and the work we have done together will be a source of deep joy, comfort and motivation as I move forward.” Lake earned her Ph.D. in Philosophy from Michigan State University and her areas of expertise include public philosophy, feminist pragmatism and transdisciplinarity. At GVSU, she teaches courses such as Wicked Problems in Sustainability and Design Thinking to Meet Real-World Needs.

“As a public philosopher, my work seeks to engage with, in and through the public in order to address shared problems,” Lake said. Lake hopes her students take away more than just a grade from her courses; she hopes each student will take with them a new perspective and a new motivation. “I want to practice and encourage a more “openminded advocacy” where we are all willing to speak up and step into our shared challenges but also willing to listen deeply, to admit when we are wrong, to learn from others and try again.” Lake values her job and how it enables her to pursue her greatest passion every day. “My passion is for continuous lifelong learning that makes a difference in our world, ... to be transformed myself by working with our students and our community, and to have the opportunity to transform others and our institutions so we can better address our shared problems and alleviate injustice.” When asked about her visions for the future of education, Lake said she “would love to see the structures, processes and culture of

PHILOSOPHER: Danielle Lake is a recipient of the John Saltmarsh Award. She was recognized for her leadership and contributions to civic engagement. COURTESY | GVNOW

higher education continue to shift so they better support collaborative problemsolving that requires we engage across our differences.” Lake said after receiving

the award, she is even more motivated to transform education and catalyze its influence on her students. “I do have a new determination,” she said.

TECH

From the university to the industry Former GV professor finds success in business world BY DREW SCHERTZER DSCHERTZER@LANTHORN.COM

Carl Erickson was a professor at Grand Valley State University for 10 years. He taught upper-level systems courses and graduate programs in computer science and engineering. However, Erickson felt the need to move into the business world. “I am always interested in new challenges,” Erickson said. “I felt uncomfortable with the hypocrisy of teaching students about things I hadn’t done myself.”

Erickson dabbled in writing programs at a startup with a former student of his at the company Deltamode before it went out of business. He then met up with Bill Bereza, a GVSU graduate student who had graduated a year before Erickson had taken his leave of absence from teaching. Bereza was working on the East coast, but Erickson said he convinced him to come back to Michigan. Erickson said he wanted to go back to teaching after Deltamode failed but that he instead did a 180-degree pivot and began his work with Bereza. Then the two partners co-founded Atomic Object

in Grand Rapids on Wealthy Street. Erickson now works solely as the CEO but admits the journey wasn’t an easy one. “The first challenge was that I didn’t know anything about business,” he said. “It was creating order from chaos as I learned about operating and setting up a business, along with who to hire.” Atomic Object today helps design and develop software for companies. The work they do has involved creating more than 250 apps for almost 200 clients, like Grand Rapidsbased Steelcase. Their clients range from startups to Fortune 500 companies, Erickson said.

He has enjoyed the economic success Atomic Object has had and said he has loved every minute of it. He now looks toward the future of the company. “Now that I’m not running on a day-to-day schedule, I am freed up to look at Atomic Object’s 100-year vision,” Erickson said. With so much on Erickson’s plate, he still remembers his roots. He said his company often employs GVSU students. Erickson also said he supports the GVSU community and businesses associated with it. He couldn’t express his

gratitude enough for the university and even supplied funds to help the Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons’ technology showcase years ago. Erickson’s success has inspired GVSU student Christian Carroll, who hopes to one day run a business himself in the Grand Rapids area. “Great people keep the city of Grand Rapids and GVSU going,” Carroll said. “I’m downtown for classes frequently, and looking up at those big buildings, I know I could one day own one myself.”

Carroll said he knows the road will be tough but sees Atomic Object’s success as motivation. Atomic Object has already expanded and has a second office in Ann Arbor, Michigan. For the last four years, the company has battled with the challenges of changing and adapting their model to work in two locations, Erickson said. “We are making it work for two places and why not more?” he said. “It is inevitable that Atomic Object will bring goodness to other cities as well.”

SAFETY

Rifle club, GVPD support campus gun ban BY KAYLA TUCKER NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Last month, a Michigan state court of appeals ruled in favor of the University of Michigan’s campus ban on guns after

an Ann Arbor resident sued, saying it was in violation of the Second Amendment. In the state, Grand Valley State University is another college that also has a gun ban in place. The rule is a part of

GVSU’s Student Code, which states that “a student shall not possess any firearm or weapon anywhere upon property governed by the University, except University Police Officers and other legally estab-

SPORTSMANSHIP: The GVSU Rifle Club promotes safety as its number-one priority in its student organization, which competes in and practices competitive shooting. COURTESY | GVSUCLUBSPORTS.COM

lished law enforcement officers acting in the course of and scope of employment.” A “weapon” defines firearms, a blade greater than three inches and more. GVSU Police Department Chief Renee Freeman said she was not at the university when the rule was put in place but that it has been enforced for “many years.” “I would assume it was to remain in compliance with federal law and promote a sense of security,” Freeman said. If a student or staff member had a license to carry weapons on them, they would still not be allowed to bring it onto university property. David Cantillon is the president of the GVSU Rifle Club, a team that shoots and competes with rifles. He said the mission of the club is to promote sportsmanship and safety.

“As someone who is heavily involved in the sport of competitive shooting, I strongly believe that it is crucial and imperative that safety above anything else always be at the forefront of any firearm debate,” Cantillon said via email. “Without safety, and people being properly, adequately, and continuously trained on proper firearm safety, I feel it is best to leave firearms out of the discussion of public universities.” Although safety is key, Cantillon said a “ban” is not going to protect the campus completely. “I believe it is the job and duty of the university to protect and keep its students and staff safe,” Cantillon said. “On the other hand, a complete ‘ban’ will not stop a mass spree or school shooting from oc-

curring. If firearm violence is the main topic here, then we must look at other variables that influence it.” In the incident that a firearm were brought on campus, Freeman said there would be many variables, but the university has a general response. “Public Safety will take action necessary to gain compliance with our policy and student code,” Freeman said. “This may include confiscation (or) securing of the weapon and removal of the person from campus. It is likely a referral to the Dean of Students Office would be made for the code violation and again, depending on the circumstance, further law enforcement action may be required.”

REWINDING TIME: Mark Zumberge (right), son of former GVSU President James Zumberge, speaks to the 1967 Grand Valley State University graduating class Saturday, June 24. Graduates of the 1967 class (left) catch up with old friends during the lunch celebration. GVL | EMILY FRYE


A6 | STUDENT LIFE

JULY 10, 2017 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLLAKERLIFE

ALUMNI

ARTS AT A GLANCE GV TO HOLD ABORIGINAL ART EXHIBIT

The “Drawn From the Desert: Australian Aboriginal Paintings from the Central and Western Deserts” exhibit, facilitated by Grand Valley State University, is being held in the West Wall Gallery of the L. V. Eberhard Center Monday, July 24. The exhibit is open from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. A gift of Australian aboriginal paintings was given to GVSU, featuring artists from Papunya and its surrounding regions. Papunya was the last community to take in Australian aboriginal people when the Australian government was removing them from their land between 1940 and 1960. The community also gave birth to the contemporary Australian aboriginal art movement. The exhibit has paintings that give insight into the lives of aboriginal people—detailing their hopes, ancient stories and symbols—and give a depiction of life in the desert they called home.

GV TO HOST BUSINESS WORKSHOP

Grand Valley State University offers a course that is designed for students who are considering self-employment or who may want to start their own business. This course is being held at the Bicycle Factory Thursday, July 20, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m and is free to the public. This workshop will contain an introductory session to help aspiring entrepreneurs assess their abilities to lead and manage a business and will continue with assistance on evaluating market and sales potential for their products and services. The workshop will also help aspiring entrepreneurs determine start-up costs and finance options, as well as introduce business planning and what the necessary steps are to getting started. If you would like to register for this event after Wednesday, July 19, at 8 a.m., please call (616) 331-7370.

GRAND RAPIDS TO HOST OUTDOOR MOVIE EXPERIENCE Grand Rapids will premiere its outdoor film series of “Movies in the Park.” Pre-movie entertainment begins at 6 p.m. with the first film starting at 7 p.m., followed by an additional feature at 9:30 p.m. All films are free of charge. DGRI and partners present films every other Friday through August on a giant screen in Ah-Nab-Awen Park on the banks of the Grand River. Guests are invited to enjoy their special night under the stars by following some movie-night tips, such as treating the night like a picnic and bringing their own blankets, chairs, beer, wine and snacks.

‘GVSU NIGHT’ AT COMERICA PARK

The Grand Valley State University community will host its first-ever “GVSU Night” at Comerica Park. GVSU Night will be held Wednesday, July 26, from 7:10 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Comerica Park in Detroit. All current and future students, families, alumni, faculty, staff, community partners and loyal fans are invited to attend this special evening full of Laker pride as the Detroit Tigers take on the Kansas City Royals. Every ticket sold will include a $5 donation back to the GVSU Scholarship Fund to support future Lakers, as well as a limited edition Detroit Tigers and GVSU-branded baseball hat. Ticket information varies depending on the package bought. Transportation buses will be provided from Allendale and Grand Rapids to Detroit for $15 per rider.

COMMUNITY: Participants gather around after the 5K to embrace WestSide supporters with local food. COURTESY | WESTSIDE STRIDE

Spreading the ‘Laker Effect’ GV graduate teaches English in South Korea

BY TY KONELL LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

For some 20-somethings, life post-graduation can be stressful and chock-full of uncertainty. From finding a place to live, to trying to secure a job, to obtaining placement in a graduate program, former college students can easily get stuck in a post-university rut. For Kylie Decker, however, this was not the case. Decker, who graduated from Grand Valley State University in April 2016, has been teaching English at Maple Bear Kindergarten in Busan, South Korea, since August 2016. “When I was little, I was one of those kids that switched between wanting to be a teacher and wanting to be a nurse,” Decker said. “I became less sure about what I wanted to do and thought about going into theater or becoming an accountant, yet somehow ended up majoring in women and gender studies.” Decker said her GVSU study abroad experience in Japan helped her during her move to South Korea, where a large percentage of people speak English. “It was really easy to get used to Korea because there is so much English,” Decker said. “I did a short study abroad in Japan, and after being here for so long, I’ve realized that even though Korea has less foreigners, they are much better equipped to work with us.”

Furthermore, she said people will sometimes respond in English even if spoken to in Korean. “One of the funniest things is me trying to speak a little Korean, and then they answer in English, and I feel like an idiot with my horrible pronunciation,” Decker said. Although she has had an easy transition, one thing that Decker misses is comfort foods. “She does miss mac and cheese, tacos and seasonings, all things that she asked us to bring to her when we visited,” said Rosemaria Lintjer, Decker’s mother. As for culture shock, Decker said one of the biggest differences she has noticed is the styles of parenting. “Most of the kids here are pretty good, but I’ve noticed a great difference in parenting that sometimes drives me nuts,” Decker said. “Parents tend to let their kids wander around, which isn’t bad on its own, but the parents don’t even acknowledge it.” Even so, the students in South Korea and their parents have warmed up to the GVSU alumna. “The children write her notes telling her how much they love her and make her little homemade trinkets,” Lintjer said. “I am so proud that she is such a wonderful young woman and making such a good impression.” Lintjer said Decker’s wanderlust started developing

when she was around 11 years old after being invited on a People to People Student Ambassador Program trip. “She spent 15 days in Australia and celebrated her 12th birthday there,” Lintjer said. “She is determined to visit Australia again.” Moreover, Lintjer said even though Decker only signed a one-year contract, she had a feeling she wouldn’t be returning to the states afterward. “I told friends and family that she would not be back after one year,” Lintjer said. “I

broached the subject with her after she had been in Korea for six months. She rattled off a myriad of reasons to stay.” Decker is researching moving to another Asian country after her contract runs out, which will happen in two months. “I was going to stay in Korea for longer because it’s amazing here, but I now have a Korean boyfriend and he wants to work in Japan, so I decided to follow him,” Decker said. “I will definitely return to Korea to teach again.”

FAMILY: GVSU grad Kylie Decker poses with her parents in South Korea, where she teaches English. COURTESY | ROSEMARIA LINTJER

FITNESS

WestSide Stride offers exercise alternative, new way to connect in Grand Rapids BY SIDNEY SELVIG ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

While exercise is effective at making you healthier, it may not be everybody’s favorite pastime, especially more strenuous, competitive exercises like running a 5K. That’s where events like WestSide Stride—a community pub run/walk— comes in. This free, recurring event, which is held every Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., is open to individuals of all fitness levels. The pub run/walk begins at Swift Printing & Communications Inc. in Grand Rapids before finishing up at different drinking locations. WestSide Stride, which is in its third season, started in April and will continue through Nov. 1, weather permitting. Participants have access to free parking for the evening in Swift Printing’s parking lot. The idea of a pub run/walk

was first concocted in Florida by one of the group’s founders, Jes Gutowski Slaydon, who is the community relations coordinator at Swift Printing. Gutowski Slaydon started WestSide Stride with her sister, Samantha Gutowski, after they moved back to Grand Rapids after college. The goal of the organization, which is under Swift Printing, is to bring back the community that once lived on Bridge Street. “It’s fun when you can meet new people while doing something healthy with the people here in Grand Rapids,” Gutowski said. “We wanted to collaborate and be part of something new somewhere where we have a lot of history.” The WestSide Stride founders hope to stand apart from the many other running groups in Grand Rapids with their casual approach to fitness and their love for a better community. Whether participants

run five minutes and walk the rest, or vice versa, individuals of any fitness level can join in. The group members aim to celebrate where they came from as a community and embrace the opportunity of it growing in the future. Both Gutowski Slaydon, Gutowski and their father hope the group will serve to help revitalize the Bridge Street community, encouraging individuals to once again gather together there. “Our whole family does it as a fun activity,” Gutowski said. “We want this to be more than just exercise. What’s significant is that it’s enjoyable.” The founding sisters hope the pub run/walk continues to grow. Last year, as many as 50 people participated in the events. The pub run/walk is designed to encourage a healthy lifestyle and promote connections with the Bridge Street

community. The 5K course includes many sites starting on the west side of Grand Rapids and going downtown to cut across the bridge to come back to circle around six drinking locations. These businesses, places like The Sovengard, Harmony Hall and O’Toole’s Public House, continue their specials on food and alcohol for this event to focus with the runners on celebrating the rebuilding of the neighborhood. This helps inspire the thought of keeping everything local. Some runners are walking from their houses and buying shoes from stores that are based out of Rockford, and everyone is eating at a place that gets its food from the area. “The community and celebrating the businesses in it while doing a really great activity is very inspiring, with our main goal being to support the people in our backyard,” Gutowski Slaydon said.

ADVOCACY

GV class collaborates with rapper to create video for mental health awareness BY JESSICA HARSEVOORT

JHARSEVOORT@LANTHORN.COM

Music has the power to send a message. Knowing this, rapper Rick Chyme is collaborating with Grand Valley State University’s American Society and Media course, as well as Professor Michael Macaluso, to make a music video centering around mental health awareness. The release date for the video, being shot for the track “Shameless” on the Rick Chyme & Nixon album “Bald Since Birth,” has yet to be determined but will display im-

ages relevant to the lyrics. The recording will be a metaphor for the song’s message about depression and self-validation. As a music artist and mental health educator of three years for the Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan, Chyme hopes the piece will be a catalyst to bring people valuable information and start conversations. “The program is really just trying to spread the awareness that mental health exists, that it’s an issue, and that it’s not something that we have to be scared to talk about,” Chyme said.

PERFORMANCE: Rick Chyme perfoms a set at Founder’s Brewing Co. in Grand Rapids. COURTESY | ANTHONY NORKUS PHOTOGRAPHY

Chyme’s collaborative music video will join the efforts of “be nice.,” a mental health awareness, bullying and suicide prevention initiative for schools, businesses and communities. The education campaign is also an action plan, where nice stands for notice, invite, challenge and empower. Due to the prevalence of mental health disorders, Sidney Selvig, a GVSU student participating in the collaboration, hopes their efforts will make people feel as if they’re not alone and give them confidence to talk about mental health. “I hope kids can see this and think ‘Wow, if these students can do it, so can we,’” Selvig said. Chyme aspires for the music video’s influence on viewers to go one step further. “It’s appealing to me, the idea that not only will they get excited about it and get the information, but take action on their own outside of just sharing this piece of art,” he said. Furthermore, GVSU students are filming, editing and

acting in the music video using simple technology such as their phones and laptops. Since university students are making the music video, the collaborators hope their work will inspire learning alongside creativity. “I try the best that I can, and I try to inspire other people to come into every situation knowing that you don’t know what the person you’re talking to is going through,” Chyme said. Whether one encounters somebody with mental health issues or deals with it themselves, it is important to know the facts about mental health and understand that there are resources available to help. “Knowing that there are people out there, knowing that there are foundations out there that really do want to help and really do care is so important,” Selvig said. In this project, music is an outlet to spread a powerful message about mental health. The purpose is to end the stigma against mental health by learning the facts, recognizing changes, starting con-

versations and treating others with compassion. “If you can tell something has shifted in the way you think, act or feel, know that you’re not alone,” Chyme said. For immediate profes-

sional help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. GO TO: benice.org FOR MORE INFORMATION


SPORTS | A7

JULY 10, 2017 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

QUICK HITS

ENTREPRENEUR

GV SOCCER PLAYER NOMINATED FOR NCAA WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD

Former Grand Valley State soccer player Clare Carlson has earned many accolades during her time as a Laker, including two-time GLIAC Defensive Player of the Year and All-GLIAC First Team, NSCAA Scholar AllAmerican, two-time Fall GLIAC Commissioner’s award (2015 and 2016), and a 3.9 GPA. But now she can add another accomplishment to her list of milestones, as Carlson was selected as a nominee for the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year, per a release from the NCAA. The award includes nominees across all three divisions of play. The award is established to recognize female college athletes who completed their college careers as student athletes and maintained outstanding character on the field and in the classroom. During her time on the soccer team, Carlson helped her team capture three Division II National Championships with the Lakers, tallying an 92-5-5 record overall over her four-year career.

FORMER GV BASEBALL PITCHER SIGNS WITH TRAVERSE CITY BEACH BUMS

MILLION DOLLAR IDEA: Grand Valley State tennis player Katarina Samardzija holds a $7,500 grant from the MWest Challenge after the junior’s business venture ‘Locker Lifestyle’ won the contest. Samardzija’s idea is a multi-use accessory that holds credit cards, drivers licenses, etc. COURTESY | LOCKER LIFESTYLE FACEBOOK PAGE

After setting the NCAA Division II record as the career leader in saves with 40 in the 2017 GLIAC tournament, Grand Valley State baseball closer Matt Williams found another reason to continue his pitching success. Williams was signed by the Traverse City Beach Bums, a team associated with the Frontier League, an independent professional baseball league. The team is one of 12 teams in the league, playing in a 96-game season. Williams’ best season came in 2016 when he recorded 20 saves, tying the NCAA Division II record for a single season. Not only did he set the record, but Williams also delivered an 0.84 ERA and held opponents to an .123 batting average. Those accolades landed Williams an ABCA, CCA, and NCBWA All-American selection. A representative from the Beach Bums said the team is “excited” to add a pitcher with his caliber of closing games to their roster.

Developing ‘Locker Lifestyle’ GV tennis player Katarina Samardzija turns sports into business

BY LOUIS RICARD SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

S

ometimes all you need is just a simple idea. You may have once bragged to your friends that you had that infamous “million dollar idea,” but because of other time commitments, lack of passion and dedication to the project, that idea never became a reality. However, some of us are more dedicated than others. And in the case of

Grand Valley State women’s tennis player Katarina Samardzija, she committed to go all the way with her idea. Samardzija launched her own business called “Locker Lifestyle” this past year. Her product is a multi-use fitness accessory that can be worn around the wrist or arm or used as a headband. The purpose is to let people bring the bare minimum to the gym instead of carrying all their belongings.

Samardzija explained that she created the product after an incident that happened while she was going to the GVSU Recreation Center with some of her tennis teammates. “All we needed was our ID and key, but we ended up bringing extra wallets, cash and things we did not need,” Samardzija said. After looking online to solve her problem, she realized that she could create the solution instead of looking for it. The junior has already

won multiple pitching events. Samardzija earned a $7,500 grant from the MWest Challenge back in April and cashed in an extra $5,000 at the 5x5 Night contest more recently. This is only the beginning for Samardzija. Her goal is to multiply her sales by 10 and to be accepted on the TV show “Shark Tank” this year. Meanwhile, tennis remains one of Samardzija’s priorities. She plans on pursuing her college career all the way through. This past season, the young entrepre-

neur won nine out of her 11 individual matches, while winning seven out of her 12 matches in doubles. Head coach John Black thinks there is more to come with Samardzija both on and off the court. “Kat works extremely hard and is very coachable,” Black said. “She is constantly trying to improve.” However, she is much more thrilled about winning in her business than on the court. SEE LOCKER | A8

FOOTBALL

GV MEN’S HOCKEY ANNOUNCES 2017 PROSPECT SKATE

After a successful regular season (23-4-3) and advancing as far as the semifinals in the 2017 ACHA Division II National Championship Tournament, the Grand Valley State men’s club hockey team finally returns to host a prospect skate Saturday, August 12, at Georgetown Ice Arena. The mini camp skate event provides a way for athletes interested in playing for GVSU to meet with the coaching staff, returning players, and possible offers for the Division II and III teams GVSU offers. Unlike most collegiate hockey programs, the Lakers are not allowed to offer athletes scholarships because they are not considered a GVSU varsity sport. Head Coach Mike Forbes believes GVSU’s program is unlike any other because of the lack of recruiting players while still being one of the best programs in Division II and III. The event is set to have multiple teams playing throughout the day, starting at 9 a.m. and concluding activities around 4 p.m. For more information about the event, contact Coach Forbes at Aegissports@gmail.com.

BY BRADY MCATAMNEY BMCATAMNEY@LANTHORN.COM

For football fans across the country, the offseason is a long, brutal period that keeps the pigskin away from fans more effectively than the 2015 Denver Broncos defense kept opposing teams from scoring touchdowns. Nothing truly fills the prolate spheroid-shaped hole in the heart during the spring and summer.

C’MON, REF!: Grand Valley State head football coach Matt Michell argues a call against the referees during a game against Wayne State Nov. 12, 2016. The Lakers have used the summertime to hold voluntary training camps, community events and mental preperation for the impending 2017-18 season. GVL | EMILY FRYE

No days off

The same cannot be said for the players. While fans daydream about their favorite team, that team is in the weight room daydreaming about correcting that one wrong step, penalty or ball that slipped through their hands the season prior. For the Grand Valley State football team, the offseason is not a time to turn the switch “off.” Despite the fact that the regular season is still a couple months away, the Lakers are already on campus

participating in involuntary workouts—sessions that the coaches are barred from guiding—and have been grinding since the final whistle that ended their 2016 season. “It says a lot about the guys on our team,” said quarterback Bart Williams. “Everybody shows up, and they’re not days off because the coaches out there. Guys are pushing teammates and pushing to get better. “Fall camp is only about a month away, and we only have four weeks to get ready for it, so it’s kind of

GV football team uses summertime to improve their game, communities

crunch time. You can’t take these conditionings or lifts for granted. It’s a grind. If you’re not taking it seriously, you run the risk (of not being ready for the fall and getting injured).” Williams, who will be entering the season once again as the starting quarterback, has continued to show his ability to be a leader for the Lakers, and the coaching staff appreciates his maturity and moxie. “Bart Williams does a great job,” said head coach

Matt Mitchell. “He’s more than just a great player: He’s a leader of this team. I’d point to him on the offensive side of the ball.” On the offensive side, in addition to Williams, wide receiver Brandon Bean and running back Bryce YoungWalls have been stepping up as voices for their teammates to follow. “He’s got some fire to him. Everyday, it’s like life or death for him to be pushing himself and pushing others. I noticed it last year with him, too,”

Williams said of Young-Walls. “He’ll be a redshirt sophomore in the fall, so I’m two years older than him, and he was pushing me. I have a lot of respect for that kid.” The offseason is more than just lifts and sprints for GVSU, though. Once finals concluded in the winter semester, Mitchell took about 60 of his players to Timber Wolf Lake in Lake City, Michigan, for their annual community service trip. SEE FOOTBALL | A8


JULY 10, 2017 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

A8 | SPORTS SOCCER

Looking forward BY ARPAN LOBO SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State women’s soccer fell short of tying a record in 2016. After falling to Western Washington in 2016’s Division II National Championship, the Lakers’ run of three consecutive national championships came to an end. It was the first time in the three-year tenure of Head Coach Jeff Hosler (68-54) that GVSU had failed to capture the national title.

Now, having lost a group of seniors that included one of the program’s biggest stars, the focus is shifted to the future. The Lakers lost six seniors to graduation, including stalwarts like Marti Corby and Clare Carlson, who both signed to play for Grand Rapids Football Club, as well as key contributors Jayma Martin and Kendra Stauffer. Corby is considered one of the greatest players in NCAA Division II history, and Carlson was nominated for the

GV women’s soccer team sees bright future after loss in 2016 National Championship

NCAA Woman of the Year award in June. The decorated group of seniors had an evident impact on the program. “All of those kids were tremendous competitors,” Hosler said. “They weren’t just competitors: They were winners. Their work ethic and professional approach to the daily grind will be missed.” While the class of 2017 leaves behind a championship legacy, the team’s roster for the upcoming season has its notable mentions as well.

Six players will return for their senior season, including the reigning National Player of the Year Gabriella Mencotti. The senior from Novi, Michigan, scored 29 goals in 26 appearances last season. She also contributed with a career high of 13 assists. Mencotti, who led the nation in scoring in 2016, will lead a senior class in search of its third national title. Besides Mencotti, Hosler also pointed out other veterans in the GVSU program who are

NEW EXPECTATIONS: GVSU head coach Jeff Hosler watches his team as the Lakers defeat the University of Findlay at home Oct. 16, 2016. After losing in the 2017 Division II National Championship, the Lakers look to claim redemption this upcoming season. GVL | LUKE HOLMES

FOOTBALL CONTINUED FROM A7

The players got an opportunity to bond with each other in a setting other than the football field, and they were able to put in tons of work for the lodge in preparation for the Young Life camps that go on there during the summer. “We do a lot of manual labor, bringing up the brutes, lugging trees around,” said linebacker Collin Schlosser. “I helped build a shed, spread the mulch, clean up the landscaping; a group did some irrigation. It’s a good experience. It’s a good way to give back.” Additionally, GVSU hosted three youth camps in June and plan on having

another three in July. These serve as opportunities for kids, from first graders to high school seniors with a deep-rooted interest in football, to have some fun with the players and coaches and learn about the game. Even with workouts, camps and retreats, several Lakers have even carved out time to visit children’s hospitals to brighten the days of the kids who need it most. Despite everything going on in his football world, Collin Schlosser has fit in summer classes and has even submitted his application to medical school. He has taken the Medical College Admission Test once and plans on sitting down with it again. When asked how he manages to fit multiple massive commitments into his everyday schedule, Schlosser

shrugged it off. “It’s all about choices,” he said. “When it comes down to the season and school, it all comes down to the choices that you make. I have to prioritize my time and look ahead—when I’m going to do my schoolwork, when I’m going to fit in extra film work, like that. It’s busy in season, but it is fun, too.” Workouts. Summer camps. Community service. Game planning. Hospital visits. Classes. Medical school. Jobs. Film review. All of that, and we are only scratching the surface of what GVSU football has accomplished recently. “That’s what’s unique about Grand Valley football,” Mitchell said. All that, and it’s still only the offseason.

CONTINUED FROM A7

YOUR AUDIENCE COULD BE...

LIMITLESS

lous and Kristy Gomez, from Davis & Elkins College and Michigan State, respectively. “There’s a lot of potential depth in that class,” Hosler said. “I think there’s the potential for some of those kids to step up and have key roles. They’ve got to add something (to what) we’re already doing, and to be fair, there are kids that are going to have to do that in order for us to have some success this fall.” The goal surrounding the program remains the same: to win a national championship. Not being the defending champions, however, hasn’t weighed on the mind of Hosler. “It’s a little refreshing, in a way, that we don’t have that same expectation that we’ve had in the past where we’ve won it the year before and we’re expected to win it again,” he said. The team, however, is still hungry to reclaim the top spot. “There’s a little bit of extra motivation,” Hosler said. “Seeing our seniors go out the way they did and ending their careers, I think it opened some eyes that it takes a lot of extra little things to win a national championship. We didn’t do a lot of those things, and I’m hopeful we’ve learned our lesson.” GVSU plays host to the University of WisconsinParkside in an exhibition Saturday, August 19.

FIELD CONDUCTOR: Head coach Matt Mitchell looks at the score as the Lakers defeat Ferris State with a final score of 35-23 Oct. 8, 2016. The Lakers have kept busy this offseason. GVL | KEVIN SIELAFF

LOCKER

AS SEEN ON TV: Samardzija’s business venture was created after she and her teammates found it inconvenient to carry so many loose items to the gym. COURTESY | LOCKER LIFESTYLE FACEBOOK PAGE

expected to have an impact on the upcoming season. “Dani Johnson was vital to our success last year,” Hosler said. Johnson, a senior from Toledo, Ohio, plays as a holding midfielder, shielding the defensive backline. “That’s a position that often goes underappreciated,” said Hosler, who thinks Johnson’s importance on the field is immense. “It’s not a position that accrues very many accolades. She’s an absolute warrior for us. She’s a physical, rangy player that guts out tough plays, but at the same time facilitates what we do in possession. Last year was a breakout year for her, and we expect more of the same and marked improvement in her senior year.” Behind Johnson, playing in the center of defense, is fellow senior Shannon Quinn. Hosler believes the defender from Grand Rapids will also continue to be key for the Lakers. “She’s the director of our defensive unit,” Hosler said. “She has a high soccer IQ, and she’s a very technical player. She can do some pretty good things on the attack from a position that is normally just a defending position.” Adding to the program’s returning talent is the biggest signing class in Hosler’s tenure as head coach. The Lakers will add 13 freshmen to their program, as well as two transfer students, Katrina Giantsopo-

“I cannot explain the feeling of winning a pitch competition,” Samardzija said. “It is so much more thrilling to win that over a tennis tournament because I have given up more and (worked) so much harder at propelling my business mentally and physically than I do in tennis.” Black is confident in Samardzija’s potential as she grows as an athlete and professional. “I feel that Kat will succeed at whatever she puts her mind to,” he said. “She is very driven and works extremely hard both on the courts, in the classroom and at her business.”


JULY 10, 2017 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

SPORTS | A9

FOOTBALL

Leader of the pack BY ROBBIE TRIANO SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

During Grand Valley State football team’s Spring Classic game at Lubbers Stadium Saturday, April 15, the Laker coaching staff made it a point to challenge its younger talent to see if the players had improved their “growth mindset” and approach to the game. One player who proved

himself to head coach Matt Mitchell was defensive back Kalen Dunham, who was claimed by Mitchell as the best corner out of the spring practice. Standing at 6 feet 2 inches tall, a height well above average for most cornerbacks, the redshirt sophomore is known for his skill at sticking against receivers with quick footwork and height that towers over

them. Mitchell said Dunham’s performance in the spring practice gave promise to the rest of the returning defense. “We saw a increased level of confidence in (Dunham),” Mitchell said. “He has a lot of physical tools at corner, and it doesn’t hurt that (he is) extremely tall. When you have long corners with length that can help disrupt the delivery of receivers, it gives the rest of

Defensive back Kalen Dunham ready to be major factor in GV secondary

defense confidence.” Dunham, who lives in Canton, Michigan, played football at Plymouth High School. Throughout the course of his high school career, Dunham was awarded First-Team All-Conference, All-State West Honorable Mention, All-League West his senior year and awarded First Team All Conference plaudits after his junior season.

NOT IN OUR HOUSE: GVSU redshirt sophomore and defensive back Kalen Dunham knocks the ball loose against Findlay Oct. 29, 2016. Dunham was recently dubbed one of the Lakers’ best defensive players by head coach Matt Mitchell heading into the fall. GVL | EMILY FRYE

After being recruited and committed to join the Lakers, Dunham was redshirted during the 2015 season. But the 2016 season was a different story as Dunham found himself major playing time, contributing in all 13 of the Laker football games. Dunham finished the season with 35 tackles (20 solo, 15 assisted), one interception and one fumble return for a touchdown. Hearing Mitchell’s words of praise—and also criticism— has Dunham even more excited to step on the field and defend the secondary with his fellow defensive backs this upcoming season. “Hearing those words from the boss gives me even more confidence to go out on the field and perform at a high level,” Dunham said. “But I still have things to work on and continue to grow upon.” One of Dunham’s major criticisms from the coaching staff revolves around his overall discipline, something Dunham agrees he has to keep working on. “I know now what I need to make my biggest improvement at now, and it’s made me understand what my role is and how it has grown,” Dunham said. “Because of that, it’s allowed me to focus on continuing to gain weight and get stronger.” One player that has noticed the growth and raw talent of Dunham is senior defensive back Tre Walton, who said Dunham made an immediate impression on him and the rest of the Laker secondary upon arrival.

“We knew he was good since he came on the field day one,” Walton said. “He’s a tall corner that can defend at all routes, and it doesn’t hurt that he’s very dedicated in the film room. “Grand Valley should be very excited that he’s going to be on the field for the next three years.” Walton and the rest of the GVSU defensive back squad have also made it easier for Dunham to be comfortable on the field and off the field with his teammates. “I have a lot of fun with the guys in the defensive back group,” Dunham said. “We have a lot of talent that haven’t even played a single down yet, and our returning players are so hungry that it makes for a lot of competition in our secondary. Everybody brings a different skill set to the table, but there’s always improvements that need to be made so we hold each other accountable.” But besides all the praise surrounding Dunham this offseason, Dunham is looking forward to witnessing his team prove itself as not only one of the best teams in the GLIAC, but one of the best programs in the country. “We are all brought into working toward championship football,” Dunham said. “It’s going to be crazy at Lubbers Stadium this season.” Dunham and the rest of the GVSU football team start their season at Indianapolis Saturday, Aug. 31.

M. BASKETBALL

The hustle continues BY DANNY SCHWARTZ SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Valley State men’s basketball team’s season came to an end in late February in GLIAC Tournament action with a 67-59 loss to Findlay. The Lakers, who closed the 2016-17 season 16-13 overall, said goodbye to three seniors in Trevin Alexander, Luke Ryskamp and Juwan Starks. As players leave and seasons end, new young and hungry

prospects show up to GVSU summer camps hoping to impress the coaches and get an offer to join Laker basketball. For the JV and Varsity Shootouts, all teams receive a minimum of six games. The first day includes three games in a round-robin format. On the second day, each team participates in a tournament to decide camp champion. (Teams losing first two games will receive a third consolation game.) These camps took place

Saturday, June 10, through Sunday, June 11; Friday, June 16, through Saturday, June 17; Friday, June 23, through Saturday, June 24; and Monday, June 26, through Tuesday, June 27. The Day Camp gives specialized instruction to elemen-

tary and middle-school-aged kids to improve the skills of each individual camper. Campers receive daily instruction on many important concepts and skills that are vital. Between 60 and 70 campers attend every day, and the GVSU players are

GV men’s basketball team stays busy with offseason workouts, summer camps

the counselors. The Day Camp took place from Monday, June 12, though Wednesday, June 14. The Exposure Camps are designed to improve the player’s position skill while allowing them to get exposure to the NCAA recruiting process. The

camp includes an elite level of competition, intense individual workouts and evaluation by Grand Valley State coaching staff. The first Exposure Camp took place Thursday, June 15. SEE HOOPS | A10

COURT VISON: Myles Miller jukes his way up the court during the game vs. Northwood inside the Fieldhouse Arena in Allendale on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017. The Lakers look to rebound this season after a 67-59 loss against Findlay in the GLIAC Tournament. GVL | KEVIN SIELAFF

We open Monday, June 12 ! th

4965 Lake Michigan Drive (former Save-a-lot)

DDFO-1744_GVLanthown-Opening_Print051817.indd 1

5/18/17 2:19 PM


JULY 10, 2017 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

A10 | SPORTS M. GOLF

Five GV men’s golfers compete at Michigan Open Golf Championship the summer, as it’s just extra competition you can play in. GVSU golfer Alex Scott, From Monday, June 12, who participated in his to Thursday, June 15, sev- third Michigan Open this eral members of the GVSU year, said it’s one of his famen’s golf team competed vorite events of the year. “I like the experience of at the Michigan Open Golf Championship. Domenic the Michigan Open,” Scott Mancinelli, Alex Scott, said. “It was my third year Owen Rush, Bryce Mess- competing, and I’ve finished ner and Andrew Stevens all better every year that I’ve took part in the four-round played, so I’ve continually event. The tournament gotten better there.” Scott believes that as a team, was held at Prestwick Vila lot of them have been showlage Golf Club ing consistency in Highland, over the past few Michigan. months, espe“I think we both Rush tied cially since the for ninth just understand spring season amongst parthe process, and ended. ticipants with “Owen Rush a 74-72-69-69that’s where our finished in the 284 (-4), while leadership comes top 10, which Scott finished in, and the boys is impressive,” tied for 19th Scott said. “He with a 71-75see that.” had it rolling 73-69-288 (E). that week. It’s a Domenic ManDOMENIC MANCINELLI bit unfortunate cinelli finished GVSU GOLFER to see the two tied for 21st big numbers on with a score of 75-75-71-69-290 (+2), while his card which caused him Bryce Messner finished to not be near the top of of tied for 31st with a score of the leaderboard and possibly 72-76-73-72-293 (+5). An- contending, but he learned a drew Stevens finished with lot. We all did.” There are six qualifiers a 76-74-79-76-305 (+17) to round out the Laker partici- held around the state and a different percentage of pants. The five GVSU golfers each field qualifies each were playing with athletes year. For example, if there that play golf for a living, as were 50 people in the qualthe Michigan Open is a pro- ifier and they were takfessional field and not related ing 30 percent, the top 15 to GVSU at all. It’s compa- placements would qualify. All of the GVSU golfers rable to travel baseball in BY DANNY SCHWARTZ SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

had to qualify except for Mancinelli, who finished in the top 20 of the tournament a year prior, and a top 20 finish in the Michigan Open means you’re exempt for the next year. For next year’s Michigan Open, Scott and Rush will be exempt into the field. Mancinelli, who competed in his second Michigan Open this year, believes his and Alex Scott’s leadership sets a good example for the rest of the team. “On the course, we’re pretty smart, and we know if we don’t have it going that at any point in time, we can rattle off four or five birdies to get it back,” Mancinelli said. “I think we both just understand the process, and that’s where our leadership comes in, and the boys see that.” GVSU golf coach Gary Bissell believes Mancinelli and Scott’s conduct both on the course and off it are really what make them into the leaders of the team. “Dom and Alex have extremely great work ethics, and that’s really what it stems from,” Bissell said. “They’re the two best players, so even if they’re not leading vocally, they’re leading by example. If you decide you want to be one of the best players, you look to what the best players are doing, so they set a great example by being the hardest workers.” SLOW AND STEADY: GVSU golfer Bryce Messner warms up on the green at The Meadows Golf Course April 5, 2016. Messener finished the tournament tied for 31st with a score of +5. GVL | LUKE HOLMES

HOOPS

CONTINUED FROM A9

GUIDANCE: Head coach Gary Bissell talks to Brent Marshall on the practice green at The Meadows Golf Course. Bissell recently completed his third season as the Lakers’ coach. GVL | LUKE HOLMES

Although the actual GVSU basketball squad has no regular season games against other schools during the summer, Coach Ric Wesley keeps the program busy. “June ended up being one of our busier months of the year,” Wesley said. “We have four different team shootouts, as well as twoday jamborees where high school teams come here and play games. There’s 130 teams over those four shootouts, and each team probably brought 12 kids, so we probably had 1,500 kids here for our shootouts. The camps are both recruiting vehicles and fundraisers for us, so it’s a busy but productive time.”

L A K E R E XC H A N G E Announcements

Announcements

Grand Valley Dentistry is now accepting new clients! Located within a few miles of the Allendale campus, Grand Valley Dentistry is the perfect place to stop in and get your smile looking great! Schedule an appointment today by calling (616) 895-7400, or visit www.allendaledentist.com.

Have you got something to say? Put it in the Lanthorn! We will post your subleasing ads, employment ads, and for your student organization here in the Lanthorn. Send what you want to say to lakerexchange @lanthorn.com!

Announcements

Wesley said over the years they’ve had several guys who found their way onto the team whom they first saw at one of the shootout camps in the summer. GVSU guard Myles Miller said in addition to helping out with the camps, the team stays active and in shape during the spring and summer semesters. “We usually start off with a six-week program with the team,” Miller said. “Monday, Wednesday and Friday we’ll lift in the morning and get a great workout in with our trainer. Monday through Thursday we play open gym in the evening. We have people come out from all different schools, and we play against each other, and it usually ends up being highly competitive.

That’s the main thing we do as a team, and then everyone has their individual workouts as well.” GVSU center Drake Baar, who helped and observed recruits at the camps, is excited about three new transfer players. “The three transfer guys lived here for the whole six-week program,” Baar said. “It was really helpful having them here and getting to know them and their game.” The three transfers are forward Kindred Williams, as well as guards Chris Pearl and Hunter Hale. The final GVSU summer camp, the second Exposure Camp, takes place later this month Friday, July 28.

FREE CLASSIFIEDS FOR STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF some restrictions apply email lakerexchange@lanthorn.com for more info on restrictions FOR COMMERCIAL RATES EMAIL

lakerexchange@lanthorn.com OR CALL

Housing

Housing

616-331-2460

Roommates

Come visit the John Ball Zoo this summer! We have a variety of fun events planned that we know you'll enjoy, learn more at www.jbzoo.org.

give up both our is electric. We are willing to

If youʼre interested in making a colorful splash this summer, then look no further! Artsy Jazzy offers unique designs for various products such as cell phone covers, tote bags, beach towels, shirts, flip flops and much more! These items are creatively one-of-a-kind with appealing artwork from a local Grand Valley student whoʼs planning to be showcased in ArtPrize next fall. So, set the fashion trends this season while having fun under the sun with a cool 20% off your first order! Donʼt miss out at www.artsyjazzy.com

Employment

Daily Deals Food Outlet will be opening on June 12th in Allendale on Lake Michigan. Name brand groceries at overstock price! Visit this locally owned and operated business for your grocery needs. Looking for a job? They are hiring as well. Visit http://www.ddfoodoutlet.com for more information.

Looking for 2 subleasers to take over my boyfriend and I's lease at Copper Beech from now - end of lease in July. Rent is $437 and includes water, cable, and internet. The only other cost is electric. We are willing to give up both our security deposits ($300 per room) because we need 2 people ASAP!! Please email me at jimenezd@mail.gvsu.edu if you're interested or know people that are looking for summer housing.

Looking for a female to sublease my unit i m m ediat ely at Enc lav e Apartments. The rent is $638 per month, which includes all utilities including cable. Please contact me aprilaction@yahoo.com for additional information.

In search of one more female roommate to round out our roommate squad! We live in Campus West, in the 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom townhouses. The rent is $465 a month, with utilities costing less than $30 a month. We are 3 seniors girls of varying degrees, who are all laid-back, but still like to have fun. Contact me at cartshel@mail.gvsu.edu or at (989)854-2626 for more info!


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook